The Wrecking Crew was an informal name given to a group of Los Angeles based studio musicians who played on countless popular music releases of the 1960s and early 1970s. Although these union musicians stationed at Gold Star Studios had jazz and classical backgrounds, in the hands of Phil Spector, they became the new sound of pop in his “Wall of Sound” playing on popular radio songs by the Crystals, the Ronettes, Ike & Tina Turner, and the Righteous Brothers. Before overdubbing allowed for layers of multiple takes, the Wrecking Crew provided the backing tracks for the Beach Boys, the Monkees, the Mama's and the Pappas, Sonny & Cher, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, and even television themes like that of M*A*S*H.
Did you know the late "Rhinestone Cowboy" Glen Campbell was a member of the Wrecking Crew? Stop by the display on Balcony 3A to discover recordings from this loose collective of Los Angeles' finest musicians.
